Rafael Rosa
Profession
Vice President of Education,
The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Community / Political experience
Appointed to Board of Education, June 2010
Citizen’s Advisory Council, 2009-10
Garfield PTA, 2001-2009
Garfield/Grant White PTA, 2009-2010
Other / Professional experience
20 years experience in informal science education
Chair, Museums in the Park Education Committee
Co-Chair, Chicago Wilderness Education Committee
Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Member, National Science Teachers Association
Review Committee, Environmental Literacy for Illinois-State Environmental Education Plan
Presentations at:
National Science Teachers Association Conference
National Out-of-School Time Conference
Illinois Science Teachers Association Conferences
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them
Measuring and improving student achievement – As do most districts, Forest Park struggles to meet AYP on the ISAT. Rather than focus just on the different subgroups that don’t meet AYP each year, the school district has been identifying assessments that allow teachers to focus on individual student achievement which should ultimately impact standardized test scores. The assessments chosen seem promising. I will need to focus on understanding the results and how the superintendent responds to those results to make sure I make informed decisions if changes in instruction are recommended by the superintendent. The Board will need to monitor the assessments and assure that the district’s educational goals are being achieved.
Communication with the community – This has been a constant struggle. Unless there is a major issue, community engagement has been very light. The biggest concern here is that without proper communication, the only information that seems to get around are the challenges – not the successes – of the school system. Potentially, it means that any issues that do arise will come as a surprise to the community. We need to determine how the community wishes to be engaged and find appropriate ways to do so. We also need to explain decisions that are made so that the community, whether or not they agree with all of them, understand that they were made after careful thought and consideration. This will require me to attend as many school and community events as possible and be proactive in asking how things are going, not waiting for others to approach me. It will also require finding new ways to engage the community through the Citizen’s Advisory Council and other methods. While improvements in electronic communication have been positive, we also need to be more consistent in the use of Edline and providing information via email and the website.
Profession
Director of Insurance and Claims Management, Resurrection Health Care Corporation
Community / Political experience
District 91 Board of Education – 2006 to present (Board Secretary – 2007 to 2009; Board President – 2009 to present)
Illinois Association of School Boards – 2006 to present (Master School Board Member; LeaderShop Academy Member; Director-at-Large, West Cook Division – 2009 to present)
National Association of School Boards – 2006 to present
Illinois PTA District 28 – 2001 to 2004 (Chairman, Scholarship Committee – 2001 to 2004)
Garfield PTA – 1999 to 2004 (Chairman, Legislation Committee – 1999 to 2004; First Vice President – 2000 to 2004; Chairman, Nominating Committee – 2001 to 2004; Chairman, Audit Committee – 2003)
Other / Professional experience
14 years experience in healthcare compliance, operations, risk management, quality improvement, and liability claims management
Chairman of a hospital task force pilot program of the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council
10 years experience in biomedical research
2 years experience teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level human biology courses
Recipient of National Institutes of Health Training Grant and student fellowship award
Education
Master of Business Administration, Loyola University Chicago
Master of Science in Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Top Challenges facing this board and how you would address them
Proposed legislation that calls for the mandatory consolidation of school districts throughout the State: I am strongly and actively opposed to mandatory school district consolidation. I firmly believe the reorganization of any school district should be approved by a majority of voters within that district. One consolidation proposal calls for the dissolution of all school districts and the abolishment of all school boards within the State, and each county would constitute one school district governed by one county school board. For the Forest Park schools, this would mean that District 91 would cease to exist and be combined with 143 other suburban school districts to become the Cook County School District (Chicago Public Schools would remain intact and separate). All powers, duties, assets, liabilities, employees, contracts, property, and records of District 91 would be transferred to the newly created Cook County School District. This would NOT benefit the students or taxpayers of Forest Park. Proponents of such legislation claim such a mass merger could “save” millions of dollars. However, this is mere political maneuvering and rhetoric in the current climate of severe budget deficits. The most recent research from across the country suggests that policymakers should not expect to save tax dollars, but should instead expect erosion in the quality of education if such policy is enacted. Research shows that many smaller districts rank higher on standardized testing, while spending less per student when compared to larger districts. In addition, creating common district salaries amongst all the employees of the former districts would most likely follow the historical practice of raising all salaries to the level of the highest salary earners in each job category, thereby increasing salary costs across the massive county districts. Creating a single Cook County School District would foster more levels of bureaucracy and runs counter to all of the research about smaller schools being better able to create sustainable change and nurturing learning communities than larger districts. No one can better understand what the Forest Park community needs and wants in our school system other than our locally elected Board of Education, which is readily accessible and provides effective oversight, control, and accountability.
Adequate Yearly Progress for each district school under No Child Left Behind: AYP is based on the percentage of students (sometimes in subgroups), including those in special education, that meet or exceed state standards as determined by ISAT scores. The target percentage of students that must meet or exceed state standards increases every year. As a result, some schools have made AYP one year, and had a greater percentage of students meet or exceed state standards the following year, but did not make AYP that year because the target percentage increased more than the school’s percentage. This system does not account for overall improvement of individual students from year-to-year. District 91 has to continue to move forward with what more accurately reflects the progress of our students and instructional strategies, and communicate those positive results. Many progress-monitoring tools and instructional interventions have been implemented, and staff trained in their use and interpretation. Many students are making greater-than-grade-level advances, but still not enough to make AYP. District 91 has a relatively high mobility rate, and the average ISAT score of those students that have been in the district for two years or less are lower than those students that have been in the district for greater than two years. To that end, District 91 is immediately performing assessments on each student as he/she enrolls in the district and appropriate instructional strategies are implemented. Although great progress on an individual student level may be made, it may not be enough to overcome the deficits with which they came in to make AYP. We must continue to constantly assess and reassess student monitoring tools and evidence-based strategies and interventions for each individual child.
Communication to/from stakeholders: This continues to be an ever-changing challenge facing the Board of Education and is a priority. Despite the many opportunities for two-way communication between the school district and community, it still appears that many residents are unaware or misinformed about different aspects of the school district. This is particularly true of those community members who do not have a child that attends a District 91 public school. The Board has recently emphasized the need for better communication, and includes updates and changes to the district’s website, an open public invitation to the upcoming “State of the District Address”, new membership and functionality of the Citizens’ Advisory Council, a District newsletter to the community, and a planned community survey. The Board must continue to explore additional avenues of two-way communication.
PERSONAL
Born: December 6, 1960
Chicago, Illinois
Marital Status: Married
Wife: Therese Fitzpatrick
Children (3): Olivia Lauren Mott (born September 11, 1993)
Emily Rose Mott (born June 27, 1995)
Francis Fitzpatrick Mott (born October 6, 1999)
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Marketing January 1998
Loyola University Chicago
Doctoral Program in Developmental Biology 1989 – 1992
University of Chicago
Master of Science (MS) – Biology May 1988
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science (BS) – Biology May 1986
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CAREER HISTORY
Resurrection Health Care Corporation Chicago, Illinois
Director, Insurance and Claims Management January 2007 – present
Oversee and coordinate the resolution of general and professional medical malpractice claims brought against various self-insured corporations within the Resurrection Health Care system.
Obtain legal representation as appropriate to defend against claims brought.
Produce relevant discovery documents and information to defense counsel during the course of litigation.
Coordinate all contact between defense counsel and insured defendants and staff, including interviews, discovery requests, and meetings.
Approve selection and retention of expert witnesses and fees.
Coordinate and approve all Appearances, Answers to Complaints, pleadings, written discovery responses, Requests to Admit, and significant motions.
Approve disclosure of all reasonable requests for information and documents not privileged by law or deemed confidential.
Coordinate claim resolution alternatives with defense counsel.
Obtain authority to conduct settlement negotiations, mediation, or arbitration.
Extend authority to defense counsel for appeal and select appellate counsel.
Approve and process defense counsel invoices.
Director, Risk Management June 2004 – January 2007
Assigned to Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois.
Coordinated hospital and medical staff resources to reduce incidence of preventable injuries and accidents; achieved and maintained a responsible liability and risk prevention program.
Reviewed, investigated, and evaluated the quality, safety, and appropriateness of patient care from a liability standpoint.
Implemenedt and monitored hospital’s policies and procedures that relate to claims, risk management, and confidentiality issues.
Provided consultation to hospital departments on risk issues and new policies and procedures that impact liability exposure.
Reviewed, investigated, analyzed, and reported information from incident reports, committee minutes, verbal reports, and patient complaints of potentially serious patient safety or compensible events.
Participated in root cause analysis.
Assisted as requested in responding to accreditation and regulatory organizations.
Assisted in developing statistical measures to identify adverse incidents and internal and external litigation trends.
Developed appropriate policies for risk control and assisted in compliance with governmental regulations.
Performed risk assessments and audits of high-risk areas within the hospital.
Developed and presented orientation, in-service, and educational programs pertaining to risk management, legal trends, and changes in governmental regulations for medical staff, employees, patients, and the general community.
Reported adverse incidents involving products and/or devices under the Safe Medical Device Act.
Served as Chairman of the Risk Management/Quality Improvement Committee.
Served on the system-wide Obstetrical Task Force, system-wide Medication Error Team, and system-wide Informed Consent Task Force.
Served on the Westlake Hospital Performance Improvement Council, Leadership Team, Management Team, Safety Committee, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Patient Safety Committee, Perinatal Advisory Committee, Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee, Critical Care Committee, Ethics Committee, Infection Control Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, and Cardiology Committee.
Triton College River Grove, Illinois
Adjunct Faculty January 2004 – May 2004
Lecture and laboratory instructor for anatomy and physiology course “Human Biology for Allied Health”.
Responsible for developing course syllabus, lecture material, grading criteria, and examinations.
Lincoln Park Hospital Chicago, Illinois
Director, Case Management and Quality Improvement July 2003 – December 2003
Specifically placed in position to effect control over increasingly high utilization.
Decreased Medical/Surgical average length of stay by one full day in first month.
Directed daily activities of nurse case managers and social workers/discharge planners.
Conducted daily multidisciplinary case review meetings.
Provided and trended statistical information to determine opportunities for utilization improvement, operations improvement, and to support medical staff education.
Oversaw hospital-wide quality improvement initiatives, including peer review and root cause analysis activities, Quality Improvement Organization-related data collection and submission, JCAHO accreditation survey preparation, policy development, and staff training.
Served as Chairman of the JCAHO Preparation Team, Code Blue Committee, Patient Safety Team, Utilization Review Team, Continuum of Care Team, and case-specific root cause analysis and peer review teams.
Served on the Quality Council, Ethics Committee, and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.
Lincoln Park Hospital (formerly Grant Hospital)
Chicago, Illinois
Director, Risk Management and Corporate Compliance February 2002 – July 2003
Rebuilt hospital-wide risk management and compliance programs.
Redeveloped occurrence reporting mechanisms.
Investigated general liability and medical malpractice/negligence occurrences and compliance concerns.
Developed databases to track and trend occurrences.
Implemented corrective actions and institution-wide risk management and compliance training.
Reviewed contracts for risk and compliance concerns.
Coordinated with legal counsel, insurance carrier, and external agencies and organizations with regard to claim, litigation, and compliance matters.
Served as Chairman of the Policy and Forms Committee, Patient Rights and Organization Ethics Team, and case-specific root cause analysis teams.
Served on the Safety Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, Ethics Committee, Medical Records Committee, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Code Blue Committee, Quality Council, Patient Safety Team, Hazard Surveillance Team, JCAHO Preparation Team, Contract Review Team, and case-specific peer review committees.
Served as interim Director of Quality Improvement.
Edgewater Medial Center and Grant Hospital Chicago, Illinois
Director of Compliance, Department of Business Ethics February 2001 – February 2002
Specifically recruited by CEO to serve as Corporate Compliance Officer to manage the organization’s matters relating to Federal indictments and investigations.
Ensured compliance with hospital’s Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Identified activities involving statutory risk, and developed internal mechanisms to report their occurrence.
Oversaw the implementation of hospital policies addressing Federal and State statutory issues, including documentation, coding, billing, the Stark and anti-kickback statutes of the Social Security Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Investigated compliance concerns and allegations, and ensured corrective actions.
Screened all current and potential employees, medical staff, and contracted entities for exclusion from IDPA, HHS, and GSA programs.
Worked directly with legal counsel, U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and U.S. Treasury Department relating to Federal criminal investigations.
Served as Chairman of the Compliance Committee and Contract Review Committee.
Served as interim Risk Manager.
Century PHO, Inc. Chicago, Illinois
Director of Operations October 2000 – February 2001
Physician-hospital organization of Norwegian American Hospital
Responsible for operations of organization, including implementation and administration of a managed care database system, claims and eligibility administration, provider and HMO relations, customer service, office operations, and facilities.
Assumed overall responsibility of organization in absence of Executive Director.
Manager, Contract Compliance and Data Analysis November 1999 – October 2000
Managed and evaluated data regarding operations, marketing, financial performance, data systems support, and strategic planning.
Responsible for vendor and government relations.
Supervised marketing representatives.
Compliance Officer March 1999 – November 1999
Served as Corporate Compliance Officer while assuming role of Acting Director after a complete removal of management.
Oversaw change management and day-to-day operations of staff.
Initiated restructuring for growth.
Norwegian American Hospital Chicago, Illinois
Assistant to the President November 1997 – March 1999
Managed and evaluated data regarding operational and financial performance, systems support, public relations and marketing, and strategic planning.
Managed relations with affiliated hospital.
Prepared and submitted grant applications.
Physician recruitment, contracting, and practice establishment.
Coordinated feasibility study and first phases for establishing a medical residency education program.
Developed and managed custom databases.
Administrative Intern July 1997 – November 1997
Assisted CEO and CFO in activities and projects, including management reports, strategic plans, public relations, and database management.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation Round Lake, Illinois
Research Associate I September 1995 – November 1996
Transplantation and Protein Therapy; Gene Therapy Unit; Biotech Group
Conducted laboratory research and statistical data analysis in the development of an implantable biomedical device under FDA guidelines.
Loyola University Medical Center, Stritch School of Medicine Maywood, Illinois
Research Assistant II August 1992 – September 1995
Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy; and the Burn and Shock Trauma Institute
Conducted laboratory research in immunology using molecular biological techniques.
Supervised laboratory personnel and budget.
AWARDS / GRANTS / HONORS
“Rising Star” Award (x 2) 2005
Westlake Hospital; Melrose Park, Illinois
Personal recognition award for excellence in service.
Beta Gamma Sigma 1997 – present
Loyola University Chicago
National business school honor society of the top 5% of graduates of schools accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.
Dean’s List 1994 – 1997
Master of Business Administration Program, Graduate School of Business, Loyola University Chicago
“MAGIS” Stritch School of Medicine Dean’s Award 1994
Loyola University Medical Center; Maywood, Illinois
Monetary award recognizing the employee that best exhibits behavior “exemplifying care, concern, respect, and cooperation”
American Gastroenterological Association Student Summer Fellowship 1990
University of Chicago
Competitive monetary student research award
National Institutes of Health Developmental Biology Training Grant 1989 – 1992
University of Chicago
Competitive federal academic research grant at the doctoral program level
VOLUNTEER / COMMUNITY / POLITICAL / OTHER ACTIVITIES
National Association of School Boards 2006 – present
Member 2006 – present
Illinois Association of School Boards 2006 – present
Member 2006 – present
Master School Board Member 2009 – present
LeaderShop Academy Member 2009 – present
Director-at-Large, West Cook Division 2009 – present
Board of Education, Forest Park School District No. 91, Cook County, Illinois 2006 – present
Board President 2009 – present
Board Secretary 2007 – 2009
Board member 2006 – present
Illinois PTA District 28 2001 – 2004
Chairman, General Arrangements, Spring School of Information 2003
Chairman, Scholarship Committee 2001 – 2004
District Assistant 2001 – 2004
Garfield PTA; Garfield Elementary School; Forest Park, Illinois 1999 – 2004
Chairman, Audit Committee 2003
Chairman, Nominating Committee 2001 – 2004
Chairman, Scholarship Committee 2001 – 2004
First Vice President 2000 – 2004
Chairman, Legislation Committee 1999 – 2004
Covering Kids Illinois 2000
Chicago-Area Pilot, Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council; Chicago, Illinois
Chairman, KidCare Tool Kit/Materials Committee, Hospital Task Force 2000
Kangaroo Korner Parent Association 1997 – 1999
Kangaroo Korner Child Care and Preschool; Forest Park, Illinois
Sean A. Blaylock
Profession
Director of Business Development, Exide Technologies
Community / Political experience
Forest Park District 91 School Board of Education – 2004 to present
(includes Vice President 2006 to 2010)
Other / Professional experience
West Cook YMCA Volunteer – 2002 to present
(includes Youth Basketball Coach, YMCA Family of the Year Award)
Sunday School Teacher, Forest Park Church – 2002 to present
Mentor, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Chicago – 1994 to 2000
Education
Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, 1991
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them
Recruiting highly qualified and diversified staff. Teachers/Principals have the biggest impact on student learning.
Continue to maintain top tier financial strength.
Assuring that all students (no matter where they start academically) receive the services required to meet or exceed state academic standards.
The responses have been structurally edited. Any grammatical or spelling errors were left intact.
